Taste and watch for an aware food consumption in the school

Monitor school meals and students’ appreciation, promoting awareness about food use/waste, in relationship with breakfast and morning snacks. Determine approval rating, and measure food waste in school, to develop strategies for management and education about prevention and reduction of food waste. Methods To control the food waste in school, it was developed a collaboration between healthcare (SIAN, Bologna’s USLgency), education (school) and society (parents, scholastic foodservice and administration). Two surveys were prepared about the appreciation and consumption of provided meals, breakfast and morning snacks, and a hundred 3rd and 4th grade children participated. Bread and fruit leftovers were used as snacks or given to charity. Each phase of the project was video taped to show participation of all parties. The results were discussed with all the participants while planning for following school years. Results 2069 nutritional profiles were examined (breakfast, snack, and lunch). The consumption of first (pasta) and second (meat or fish) courses was 3/4, while vegetables, breads, and fruits, was 1/2. Those who had a proper breakfast and/or morning snack tended to eat a greater quantity of food for lunch. Some differences emerged between the two schools involved. In one school there was significantly higher meal consumption, with a two-fold difference for vegetables, second dishes and fruits. The difference between schools with equal socio- economic status, seemed to be due to the active and authoritative teachers. Conclusions The surveys were simple and well accepted by the children. They actively participated with enthusiasm, and they were awarded with the title of ‘‘little tasters’’. The joint planning between the education, healthcare, and social components will continue: it will start a project for all the schools of Bologna to promote the consumption of proper snacks (fruits), and to monitor food waste, in order to guide both nutritional education interventions. Key messages: Scholastic food service is a very important occasion to promote nutritional education and an healthy diet. To succeed, is fundamental the active involvement of children, teachers, parents, scholastic foodservice and healthcare, to balance between offering healthy food and maximizing customer satisfaction.